PHA-Exch> REQUEST FOR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT BY WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE FROM REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Caroline A Mubaira <carol at cwgh.co.zw>




Please review, support us and circulate as widely as you can. We are banking
on your support.

Tsitsi Maradze [Individual member of WCoZ]


Contact: coalition <coalition at zol.co.zw>

*REQUEST FOR SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT BY WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE*


*Background*

Zimbabwe is going through an unprecedented political and humanitarian crisis
which is deepening and accelerating by the day.  The three leaders of
political parties signed a deal to form an eighteen months transitional
government on the 15th of September 2008.  This agreement gives Zimbabwe its
first chance in ten years to stop violence and restore socio-economic and
political wellbeing.  However the three political principals have failed to
agree on the allocation of ministries.  Zimbabwe continues to sink deeper
and deeper into a humanitarian crisis with famine gripping the country.  All
sectors including health, judiciary, education and industries continue to
crumble and collapse.  The situation has become dire and there is need to
put pressure on the negotiating parties to form a coalition government
urgently.

Zimbabwe went to the polls twice this year, first in the March harmonized
elections and then in June during a presidential run off.  After the March
elections Zimbabwe witnessed nationwide, massive, organized and calculated
violence against perceived members of the opposition.  This included
abductions and murders, torching of houses and destructions of food stocks
including livestock, intimidation, displacements, assaults, rape especially
gang rape.  The security of women and girls in both urban and rural areas is
under serious threat in Zimbabwe.  Between June and September 2008 WCoZ
estimates that there were thousands of women who were sexually violated
around the 2000 bases which were set up during the violence and terror
campaign.


*Conclude the Talks - We are Dying of Hunger Campaign *

WCoZ has always advocated for peace and nonviolence in the country.  However
realizing the grave crisis that faces the country now  WCoZ launched the
"Conclude the Talks - We are Dying of Hunger Campaign". On the 27th of
October 2008, about 1000  women gathered near the venue of the SADC Troika
Talks to demand a resolution of the crisis and send a message to the three
political leaders and SADC Troika that the talks should be concluded
urgently and efforts to restore Zimbabwe should begin henceforth.
Zimbabwean women are demanding an end to the talks and emergency
humanitarian assistance to save millions of Zimbabweans from imminent
starvation. This was the message on the placards carried by the women,
translated into both Shona and Ndebele which are the two main official
languages.


*How can you be in Solidarity with women and girls in Zimbabwe? *

Zimbabwean women and girls are going through a grave crisis manifesting
itself in a famine, collapse of health, judiciary and education systems.  We
urgently need solidarity from our sisters outside the country, either in the
African regions or beyond, you can make a difference and your contribution
can save lives.  The women of Zimbabwe are appealing to their sisters around
the world to take up the following causes as a means of showing solidarity.

   *A.  Mobilize financial resources or provide  Zimbabwean women with;*


   1. Non-violence strategies for conflict resolution trainings for women
   leaders around the country.  So far only team leaders in Harare have
   received this training yet we need to build a critical mass of women who can
   begin to demand an end to the crisis at all levels across Zimbabwe through
   widespread nonviolent civic society protests.



   1. Food has become the most expensive item in the country and there
   simply isn't enough to go round.  If you are our neighbour, WCOZ encourages
   that you unite as women and girls,  collect food and send it across your
   borders to Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe or other humanitarian agencies that
   you are in touch with.  We need cereals, cooking oil, porridge any type of
   food will save lives.



   1. Our hospitals are closing down and there is a dire shortage of
   essential medication.  Please collect, fundraise and send what you can from
   pain killers, gloves etc.



   1. Sanitary ware has become a luxury for many Zimbabwean women and
   girls.  When you buy for yourself buy a few extra and send to us across any
   border.



   1. A full SADC meeting will be held to resolve the Zimbabwe deadlocked
   talks.  Please fundraise for us to attend the talks and mobilize locally for
   other players to attend as well.  We should send the message clearly to SADC
   that time is running out for Zimbabwe.



   B. Women movements in the regions can pursue lobby and advocacy
   activities with their leaders so that they can in turn push for a resolution
   of the crisis.  We are attaching our list of demands from our political
   leaders and SADC.  Please forward these to the political leadership in your
   country.


   C. Regional and international networks can also show solidarity to
   Zimbabwean women by sharing strategies and offering technical advice on
   issues of advocacy in crisis and conflict period.  We would love to learn
   from other success stories in the region.
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